Two St. Bernard-cross puppies who were stranded halfway up a rugged, 30-foot cliff for four days last week in Canada have found forever homes with the brave rescue workers who saved their lives.
The dramatic rescue took place in Mission, British Columbia after a local woman reported hearing the distressed cries of the dogs. Nobody could reach them, so the team at Mission Search and Rescue (SAR) volunteered to help — even though animal rescue isn’t part of their scope of duty. The team scaled a cliff to retrieve the terrified pups.
It is unclear who the dogs belonged to or how they ended up stuck on the cliff, but the 16-week-old puppies were lucky to survive their ordeal unscathed; they were cold and wet, hungry and thirsty, but otherwise fine.
After a four-day holding period — and extensive coverage on local media — no one stepped in to claim the gorgeous pups, much to the delight of rescuer Rodger Williams, who had been hoping to provide a home for one of the dogs — named Fern — from the second he laid eyes on her.
“I’ve been thinking about getting a dog for a while and it just literally fell into my arm,” said Williams. “I think I just knew right away that if there was an opportunity to adopt her, then I would.”
The other pup, Maple, is being adopted by another SAR member. Although the two will be going to separate homes, their new guardians have promised plenty of playdates for the siblings, who have become unofficial SAR mascots.
